Heat-exchange device



Aug. 10 1926.

v. VECCHIO HEAT EXCHANGE DEVICE Filed Oct. 27, 1925 I INVEN'TOR ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 10, 1926.

PATENT OFFICE.

' VINCENT VECCHIO, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

HEAT-EXCHANGE DEVICE.

Application filed October 27, 1525. Serial No. 65,089.'

This invention relates to heat exchange devices and has particular reference to devices of that type wherein ,means is employed operative in conjunction with a boiler furnace or the like for extracting heat from the waste gases thereof.

Among the objects of this invention is to provide mechanism wherein a tubular device provided for extracting heat from the waste gases of a boiler furnace or the like, said heat being utilized in a circulatory system which may be associated with the house water service, or with the heating system of a building, or with both.-

Another object of this invention is to provide mechanism having means for extracting a'large portion of the heat that would normally be lost with the waste gases or through a stack, said means including a plurality of helical battles for increasing the travel of the waste gases through said means and thereby increasing the efficiency of the system.

Still another object of this invention is to provide mechanism having means for extracting a large portion of the heat of the waste gases of aboiler furnace or the like, said means comprising a plurality of pipes through which said gases flow and about which water circulates, helical baffles being positioned within said pipes for increasing the travel of the gases through said pipes and consequently the quantity of heat absorbed by the water from said gases, said baffles being operative likewise as a means for cleaning said pipes.

With the foregoing and other objects in view'lthe invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described'and claimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed orsuggested herein, still for the'purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in whichi Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view with parts in section showing my invention.

Fig. 2 isa fragmentary view with parts in section showing a detail of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 then wholly removed from the opening 20 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more specifically to the with a helical bafiieflS .whic ward length-of the pipe, the width of said bafiie being equal substantiallyat each point to drawings, I show a source of heat such as a boiler furnace '10 which has an exhaust gas outlet llarranged to discharge through a'suitable inclosure or drum 12 into a pipe 13 wherein is positioned a damper 14 to control the flow of-the hot gases according to the weather conditions in a conventional manner. Means is provided for extracting I with the maximum efficiency a large portion of the heat of the waste gases which would otherwise be wholly lost through the chimney, said meansv comprising preferably a tubular device including a plurality of pipes 15 which ma be arranged in any suitable relationWith respect to the drum 12, but are preferably positioned with their axes in parallel relation to the axis of the drum and in approximately Vertical position. Means is provided-for effecting a seal be tween said pipes at their ends such as the heads 16 and 17 at the upper and'lower ends of the pipes whereby'a sealed space is provided between said pipes through which water may circulate to absorb heat through the walls'of the pipes and from the waste gases that flow through said pipes as shown by arrows a.

In order to increase the efficiency. of-this I heat exchange device each'pipe is provided 1 extends upsubstantially through the entire the diameter of the'pipe, thus causing all of the waste gases passing through said PllJG-S to follow a helical path.

12 is provided at'its lower end w1th a capv The drum 1%) which is removable from the drum in such manner as to permit the battles to be withdrawn from the pipes and through the opening 20 in the lower end of said drum. in this way the baffles may be used for cleaning the device ofjsoot and the like. Said cap is preferably attached to thedruin as by means of set screws 21, thus forming a simple and eflicient constructioin It will be seenthat in the normal operation of this device if it should be desired to clean the pipes as aforesaid, the cap 19 can be readily removed even-while the furnace isfin operation and the baffles 18 taken hold of to be effectually cleaned before they are rehaving openings23 of a predetermined size registering with the openings in pipes, tongues 24 being provided extending= llltQthG openings 23 in said plate, the distance across an opening 23 through the center thereof and to the ends of a tongue 24 beingfequal substantially to aninside diameter'of a pipe that registers with said opening. The heli' cal baiiies 13 in turn are provided with projections '25 or the like which extend later]- ally therefrom so that these projections-can not enter the pipes 15 but act as stops when they strike the'lower ends of the pipes to prevent further insertion of the baffles thereinto. The projections 25, however, may be readily passedthrough the openings'23 in the plate 22and by a slight rotation of said battles maybe engaged or positioned upon the tongues 24 so as to support said baii le's within said pipes. It will thus' beseen that the openings 23 in the plate may preferably be inade of somewhatelliptical form, one portionof the perinieter'of said openings corresponding'wlth the openings in the pipes, while another portion of the perim'eterof the openings 23 extends laterally fromthe openings of said pipes as shown in Fig. 3. Each baflie is provided also with a portion 26 which extends to any suitable length beneath the projection 25 'soas to form a handle" or other means whereby the helical bafiie may be gripped as by a pair of tongs or the like and then rotated for engagement or disengagement of the baffle from the plate and also for insertion or removal of said baffle. This arrangement prevents any impediment to the flow of the gases through the pipes inasmuch as no constriction or the like is provided at the openings of said pipes. Furthermore, once a battle has been disengaged from a plate it can be readily withdrawn from the pipe without further rotation inasmuch as the least distance across an opening 23 in any direction is equal to the width of a bafiie.

Auxiliary heating means such as a gas burner 27 can be positioned within the drum 12'so as'toinipart heat to the absorption de vice'when the furnace is not in operation.

Said burner "includes a gas inlet pipe 28,

the flower gas, being controlled by'a valve 1 We 3 be ro d flue o the valve for controlling the flow of primary air, and an additional shutter 31 being providedmounted up on a 'wall of the drum for controlling the flow of secondary air into said. drum which isnecessary to complete the combustion of the gas. The opening 32 -inthe wall of the drum through which the throat 33 of the burner passes is y vice, said heating system having. preferably heat'exchanging relation with said hot water service so that heat may be imparted to both. by said'h'eat absorption device. However, I

prefer to connect my hot water service with the tank 39 so as to 'be, in communication with the water flowing therethrough. More specifically, I provide a"ta nk- 34 which is connected to'said drum by means of'an upper pipe 35 and a lower pipe 36, the pipe 36 passing through the'bottom'of atank' 37 which surrounds the tank 34, a nipple 38 being provided connecting the pipe 36 with the tank r The tank 37 is of larger size than the tank 34 so as to provide an annular space therebetween for the circulation of water. The pipe 36 is connected tofthe lower end of a storage tank 39 by means of a pipe 40, while a pipe 41is' arranged to connect the drum 12 and the upper end of the tank 39.. The tank39 constitutes a storage reservoir forfthe hot water as will be described hereinafter. storage tank at the upper end thereof and in spaced relation to the pipe 41 constitutes the outlet of'the hot water service and com-'v Inunicates with parts of the house where hotrwater is desire'df inlet pipe 43 is arranged to discharge cold water into the pipe 36. i

A hot. water heating system for a dwelling includes'a radiator 44 having an inlet 7 pipe 45-and an outlet pipe 46, said inlet pipe being in communication with the upper part of the tank 37, while the outlet pipe is in communication with the lower portion there of. A tank; or'container'47 is arranged in communication with the circulatory system and toprovide for expansion of the water according to changes in weather conditions. A valve 48 at the lower end. of'the tank 37 permits, the water of the heating system" to be drained when desired as forpurposes of cleaning or the like.

It will now be seen that the direction of circulation of' the water in the Various pipes and containers is substantially as, follows: Hot water will enter the tank 34'fro-m the um as h pf b and fl w d w A pipe 42 connectedto. said Nil) ward through the tank 34: as shown by arrows 0 and thence recirculate. through the drum as indicated by arrow d. The tank 39 bein in circulatory communication as described hereinbefore, hot water will enter thereintoas shown by arrow 6, and flow downward as shown by arrow f through the pipe 40, and thence again into the drum. The water in the tank 34- forms the source I of heat for the water heating system, the

water in the annular space between the tank and the tank 37 being heated'and flowing upwardly as shown by arrows 9 through the pipe and into the radiator, the returned water from said a radiator flowing downward through the pipe 46 in the direction of arrow it into the lower portion of the tank 37. Thus the water in every part of both the hot water heating system and the hot water service supply tank circulates continually. Should a valve on the outlet pipe 412 be opened in order to obtain a. quantity of hot water for household use or the like, the hot water will be drawn primarily from the tank 39 which will form a storage tank or reservoir, a portion of the cold water that is drawn into the system to replace the hot water that is extracted flowing then directly through the pipe 4E0-into the storage tank,

thus preventing an excessive cooling off of that portion of the circulatory system which is adjacent to the drum.

While I have shown a pair of tanks 34; and 37 positioned one without the other, it will be understood that my invention contemplates broadly the idea of two circulatory systems, one used as a hot water service supply, and the other for a hot water heating system, which are in heat exchanging relation with each other. It is obvious that any means may be employed for effecting an efficient heat exchange,.such as a tubular device or any similar means. In any event this arrangement permits of an important simplification in the piping and construction of these systems where it is desired to heat all the water from a source of waste heat.

I claim:

Heat exchange mechanism comprising a shell, tube plates mounted-in the shell, a plurality of pipes having their ends secured in the tube plates, and helical bafiies in said pipes for increasing the length of travel of the gases, the shell having at one end a detachable head to permit the bafiies to be rei moved for cleaning the pipes, a plate positioned in spaced relation to the lower ends of said pipes and havin openings registering with said pipes, said plate having tongues extending into said openings, the diameter of said openings to the ends of said tongues being equal substantially to the inside diameter of the pipes, said bafiies being provided with lateral projections at their lower ends to pass through the openings in said plate and enter the space between the plate and the pipes and engage said tongues whereby said battles are supported in said pipes, said baflles being rotatable about the axes of said pipes and out of engagement with said tongues, whereby they are directly removable from said pipes and through said plate without further rotation when disengaged as aforesaid, the lower ends of said pipes acting as stops for saidprojections to limit the insertion of said baflies into the pipes.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

VINCENT VECC'HIO. 

